Blood Bonds
by Candy Apple Heart Attack
Summary: The three who were once separate and discrete of one another will now become as one being, woven together by a shared thread unbreakable in its strength. To a vampire, bonds of love and blood are one and the same. Kaname x Yuuki x Zero.
1. Voyeur

**Chip:** Listen up! This story is VK, with the good ol' fashion triad relationship--as in, all three, in love. Don't like it, click the back button and get the hell off the page. Otherwise, read on for some **Kaname x Yuuki x Zero**. It's probably only going to be a few chapters long, probably somewhere around eight or so.

Read and Enjoy, peeps.

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"**Blood Bonds"**

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Chapter One: Voyeur

_Flick._ The pages were brittle between his fingers, the aged volume lying precariously on his thigh as he read. The book was a classic—a favorite—and well-taken care of because of it; tonight, however, it failed to occupy his attentions.

The classroom was dark as per the usual standard; their vampiric professor was at his podium lecturing on the morals of ex-human vampires and their status in the shadow society of their kind—the pro's and con's of their creation, it seemed. The others, his classmates, were ranged around the room across from him, each absorbed in some pastime to keep them from the tedium of lessons they'd all learned a million times.

_Flick._ Another page turned absently beneath his hand, but Kaname wasn't paying the book the slightest attention. Behind him, outside the window, he could see a lean, shadowy form standing at tense attention on the lower rooftop—a guardian to protect foolish humans from getting too close. A small, ironic smirk tilted the corner of the pureblood's lips—a vampire keeping humans away from other vampires. How quaint. And yet, to Kaname's trained senses, Kiryuu Zero's hunger was a sharp ringing in the ear—a warning. He allowed his gaze to flicker outside and hover plainly on the other man, seeing with clear eyes the way Zero hunched into himself, hands clenched tightly to the stone banister that ringed the building's lower roof; his silver-blonde hair fell into the boy's face but Kaname picked out the tense set of his jaw and the ghostly parlor of his cheeks.

Suddenly, as if sensing his observation, Zero looked up through the window and caught his gaze, belligerent and unaffected by fear. A sneer crossed the younger man's lips, the wind ruffling through his longish hair lending him an air of arrogance. Pivoting on his heel, the silverette turned and vaulted over the stone banister; the light of the moon caught on his pale skin and hair, casting him in a luminescence even as he fell, disappearing into the darkness of the forest below.

A small, wry smile slipped over Kaname's lips then melted away like an illusion.

_Hunger._ Kaname was feeling it himself just then—the gnawing sense of emptiness in his stomach, the tightness of his throat and the taste of metallic remembrance on his tongue. His eyes left that spot where Zero went over and flickered back to his book even as they narrowed; a hand reached into his pocket with slow deliberation, fingers brushing the small box in which he kept his supply of blood tablets.

Even before he could withdraw the container from its confines, Seiren was kneeling at his side, one hand crossed over her chest in a very formal address even as the other rose, palm-up, to be offered to him. She didn't look up at him, Kaname noted—the perfect obedience of a noble to her superior.

Smiling gently so as to not offend his ever-willing associate and friend, Kaname pushed her hand away, "_Arigato_, Seiren, but I will not require that this evening." Rising from his seat, he closed the old book very carefully and laid it in his place on the chair; Seiren glanced up at him then rose herself, ready to follow him. Again, Kaname shook his head. "No, please—stay here and take care of my book," he lowered his voice, speaking solely to her though he knew the others could hear, "You know what it means to me, Seiren—it is a treasure and I trust it to your protection for this time." He turned, striding across the room without looking at the professor or any of the others, "I will return shortly. I wish to be left alone."

A chorus of murmured acknowledgments followed as he closed the classroom door behind him; no one made to follow him, he noted—the others were well used to his nightly venture out.

The empty hall was cool, silent and—best of all—carried the scent of the one he most desired to see. He took himself to the end of the scent trail in the way he knew would attract the least attention—soundlessly, in the way of preternatural travel—with his impossible speed. To the untrained eye, it would seem that he very suddenly appeared in the grove just beyond the building, reclining easily against the bark of an old, tall tree that provided him with some cover. The air settled around him, hardly dispersed at all by his skill; the silence was never broken and his voyeurism never detected.

That scent though—oh, yes, the scent of blood—was thick in his nostrils, in his throat; Yuuki's blood, spilt for an unworthy vampire desperately clinging to his mortality. Eyes glowing red with his own bloodlust, Kaname observed with a critical gaze, struggling very much to remain detached.

His back pressed against a tree, Zero supported them both; one arm wrapped around Yuuki's waist to hold her firmly against him, the other raised to gently pull her head to the side, his fingers clenched in her hair the same way they were on the banister not too long ago. Yuuki's eyes were at half-mast and unfocused, but she pressed back into Zero and used one arm hooked around behind her to hold him to her neck. The near-quiet sound of a drinking, suckling vampire was overly loud in the grove—and Kaname's ears.

Zero—that worthless fool—was afforded the privilege Kaname himself wanted most.

And the ungrateful wretch had the nerve to say he didn't enjoy it—deny that he craved it with every nerve of his being. Kaname wanted to strangle him with his bare hands and then whisper into his ear the truth of how obvious it was to see, in his eyes, the blood lust.

_The blood…_

_Yuuki's blood…_

Kaname's fists balled at his side but he said nothing—made no move. This was torture, true, but it was a torture he inflicted on himself every night, without fail; every night, he left his class to come search for Yuuki—to check on her—just to bask in her presence, in her unaffected beauty and innocence. She never knew he was there, never sensed it—but there he most definitely was.

And then, not so long ago, he'd begun discovering her like _this_.

Zero's need for blood, it seemed, could not be sustained by the tablets any longer—or maybe, it never had been. Either way, maybe once or twice a week, Kaname watched as Yuuki exposed herself to danger—to death—in her effort to protect the friend she so cherished.

Her generosity—her kindness—never failed to leave him breathless.

He might not like it but he knew that if he interfered—told the Chairman or ordered her to halt—he would just upset her and that was something he couldn't have. He couldn't have her look at him with such fierce determination—such loyalty for another—and not want to grant her every desire.

So instead, he watched—her silent guardian—as a protection against death by overindulgence. Zero might be a worthless creation—a fool vampire—but Yuuki cared for him greatly; if he could not stop her from doing this for the man, then he could most certainly make sure she walked away from it safely.

A moment more—delayed, sweet torture—and then Yuuki's hand slid down, no longer holding Zero to her; Kaname's gaze narrowed, sharpened, but there was no need—Zero was lifting his head already, his other arm now sliding around Yuuki to support her more fully as she sagged in his embrace. Eyes turning from glowing crimson to luminescent silver-violet, Zero glanced around carefully before swinging Yuuki into his arms, carrying her close to his chest as he walked slowly away. Kaname watched him glance one way, then another, as if searching for some intruder—and then he was gone, moving in the way of the vampires.

A wary smile graced pale lips; so Zero was experimenting with his skills now? That was well enough, so long as he realized that it was only the blood of the most innocent, trusting friend he would ever possess that allowed him to do so.

Brought up short by that, Kaname's eyes narrowed, finding himself a little perturbed by the thought as well.

Turning on his heel, he moved himself, using the same technique Zero utilized with such amateur grace; he was in the hall, standing beside the door to his classroom nary a second later, eyes focused but mind wandering.

_Yuuki…_

Surely, she couldn't keep up this type of thing for too much longer. Despite the fact that she was a fully healthy, vital young woman—despite the larger benefits that lay dormant in her blood—she wasn't sleeping and she wasn't eating properly.

She couldn't afford to lose so much blood on a day-to-day basis.

Not even for Zero.

Actually, if he was strictly honest with himself, the best possible thing for her would be…

…for her to stay the hell away from the boy.

However, to tell her that would be—unspeakable, unthinkable. She would most assuredly disobey, perhaps going heinously out of the way or doing something foolish in a place where he would not be able to watch over her. No, no—that little grove suited him just fine; at least _there_ he knew where she was, could look in on her.

No, he wouldn't be telling her of his concerns.

And nothing to the Chairman, either—the man's care for Yuuki would only lead him to the same option and _he_ would undoubtedly take it.

No, then—another option was needed for himself.

Eyes concentrated in thought, he re-entered the classroom amidst a chorus of quiet greetings and retook his seat, sliding the book into his lap and opening it gently with one hand. Seiren bowed away.

Even still, with the book open, he did not focus on it—it merely laid there, open and willing.

He didn't read.

_Open and willing…_

…_like Yuuki._

His lips pressed together almost imperceptibly.

Just then, with a sort of blood-lust building in himself, Kaname carefully turned over centuries worth of information in his mind, gleaned from books and from Elders and other, older sources.

He had options.

The only question left—and it _was_ a rather large question—was which would best suit him now?

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**Author's Note:** Alrighty, peeps--nows the time. Let me know what you thought of it? This is my shiney new pet and I want you to love and adore it--or else. Now, pretty please...review?

-Chip.


	2. Vacillation

**Chip: **Hey guys! I'm back. Here's the update I promised you. I'm so happy with the six reviews I got, but I'm also greedy and ...I want more. You can't see my maniacal grin but it's there. So, listen up. Either review my story or I will be forced to hold the next chapter under hostage until I get a good amount. Aha. Tell everyone you know to read and review. BWUAHAHA.

Also, on another--more technical--note: The story I've outlined so far will wrap itself up in about ten chapter, or maybe eleven (but only because Dale begs so prettily). The chapters will have alternating view points--Kaname, Zero, then Yuuki. And, if you guys are really, really lovely special reviews, maybe I'll throw in an Aido seen. Grin. Because everyone loves Idol-senpai. Smile.

Here we go!

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Chapter Two: Vacillation 

The sounds reached him first—the squeals and giggles and shouted greetings meant to penetrate stone walls—and they only served to further his bad mood. Zero closed his eyes and allowed his head to roll back on his neck, releasing some of the tension built up between his vertebrae. He hated this aspect of his prefect duty—this, more than the long nights and the lack of sleep and the torturous closeness to Yuuki.

_Yuuki…_

She would be upset if he didn't hurry his ass up.

He stepped out of the surrounding forest, his first steps onto the cobble-stone pathway echoing in his own ears. Ahead of him, several girls turned to see who had come their way and quickly scurried out of his way, having learned some time ago that he didn't care for their kind in the slightest. He knew his lips were set in a very serious expression and was glad for it.

He wanted no attentions from these girls with their pulsing veins and blood-flushed cheeks.

Reaching Yuuki was an easy task—he only had to skirt the outer edge of the mob of shrieking banshee she seemed determined to hold back all on her own. She looked a little overwhelmed today, her stance not at all commanding or authoritative, as per usual. Figuring she needed the help, he took his place beside her, turning his body in such a way that his prefect's armband was prominently displayed to the crowd. Did it really matter though? This was an old routine, this guarding of the gate; if these hapless little girls hadn't gotten the message yet, would a prefect's order really be enough to ward them off?

He almost snorted in derision.

In front of him, one girl shoved another and _that_ girl collapsed into Yuuki, shoving her back roughly. Normally, this wouldn't be a cause for much concern—she fought off this hoard daily—but then Yuuki stumbled back another step and tilted precariously to one side, her eyelids drooping a little in exhaustion. Startled, Zero stepped forward a little too quickly, his image blurring dangerously as he reached out to catch her. The body fell into his arms, feeling too light, but he was already pulling her body in closely for inspection. Behind him, he could hear the muted sounds as the gates to the Moon Dormitory swung open, revealing the Night class to their admirers. The squealing of girls grew louder and there were some shouted greetings.

He ignored it all in favor of the more important matter.

_Yuuki…_

She was pale—more so than usual—and her parlor was all wrong; sweat beaded on her forehead and the bridge of her nose, lending her a feverish appearance even as her pale-purple eyelids fluttered. Her lips were dry and maybe—to his horror—a little off color, like the rest of her. Her scent was all wrong, the body shaking with a tremor too slight to be noticeable by anyone but himself.

But her eyes—that was it. She glanced up at him through glassy, unfocused eyes and gave the weakest smile he had ever beheld in their years together; the expression looked so pained, it seemed more a grimace than anything else. But even still, in this state, she was trying to reassure him. "Ah, don't worry Zero-kun," she murmured, her voice hoarse, cracked, "I'm just…a…little…sleepy." She gasped at the end of the last word, as if had taken the last of her breath—and then she was gone, slipping into unconsciousness.

"Yuuki?"

Zero glanced up through the fall of his hair, catching sight of Kuran Kaname coming quickly toward him, eyes intent on Yuuki's form. Easily, the other vampire's long stride brought him to them in a little less than a second and then he was sweeping Yuuki out of Zero's arms and into his own. Silver-violet eyes narrowed angrily but the other vampire simply leveled a cold rosewood gaze in his direction and Zero's tirade tied in his throat, stunned by the ferocity in those eyes.

_Eyes so much like Yuuki's._

"Kuran," he started, at a loss for words. Helplessly, he gestured to the crowd behind them—the Night class and the Day class stragglers—all looking on with anxious curiosity. Lamely, he offered the only thing that came to mind, "Class is about to start. Shouldn't you be on your way?" He stepped in toward the other man, "I will escort Yuuki to the Chairman's house."

Kaname's gaze—if it were possible—grew even darker. "She's in need of rest and I'm going to make sure she gets it, Kiryuu-san—perhaps you should recall that she is only _human._" The reprimand was sharp and unexpected, but Zero stepped back, sensing the truth of the raw rebuke.

_Used, Yuuki—I used you._

A wave of despair rose inside him and Zero's eyes narrowed sharply against the burn, "I will escort you, then." He turned on his heel, starting down the path, Kaname a step behind him; at the last moment, he glanced over his shoulder at the silent crowd of mingled students. "Everyone behave or I'll kick your asses when I return!" Unexpectedly, he was angry—at Kaname? Or himself?

He wasn't sure.

The Day class attendants scurried and ducked away, frightened; the Night class scoffed at him—Aido, especially, looked mutinous. "And us, Kiryuu-san? Are we supposed to obey _you_ as well?" Icy eyes slid over the prefect mockingly.

Kaname's eyes cut in the blonde's direction, "Aido—you will obey _me_ and maintain a level of decorum befitting one such as yourself. Understood?" A curt turn on his heel and the pureblood was walking away, not even bothering to acknowledge the other noble's meek answer. Zero eyed the whole lot of them—vampires, murderous fiends—and turned to catch up with Kaname as the older man stepped off the path into the woods.

They walked in silence for a few moments, Yuuki cradled to Kaname's chest and Zero just to his side, keeping an eye on the pureblood; then, when they reached a point of no distinct interest to either of them, Kaname glanced at Zero, "I will travel in the way of my kind." His tone said very clearly that he didn't expect Zero to keep up. A step forward and then very suddenly, Kaname's shape was a blur, gone with a preternatural speed that would have dazzled any mortal. As it was, Zero was hard-pressed to follow, his own practice with his new skills being precariously little; still, he kept close, shadowing Kaname's every move.

They came to a halt in front of the Chairman's house, standing outside in the falling dusk; Kaname was looking down at Yuuki, one hand rising to brush back some of the hair stuck to her forehead. Zero, seeing this, had to swallow around a thick stone in his throat and chose to look away, staring up at the light shining through the window in the topmost floor. The Chairman's office.

"Do you think maybe we should just take her to her dorm? Or to the Chairman, Kiryuu-san?" Kaname was looking at him shrewdly, "It was, after all, _you_ who put her in this state; I will let you decide."

Furious that this man would lay the blame on him, Zero spun to glare at the pureblood, "Listen _vampire_...Yuuki knew what she was—"

"Yuuki knew what she was doing?" Kaname interrupted, "Is that what you were going to say, Kiryuu-san?" The cool arrogance in that voice rankled along Zero's spine, "Fool—you name me 'vampire' but did you forget, little hunter?" Scorn dripped in every word, "_You_ are a vampire as well."

A growl low in his throat and Zero suddenly found the Bloody Rose in his hand, muzzle pointed firmly at Kuran Kaname. The older vampire stared him down, not moving an inch; he seemed perfectly poised, despite the danger of that particular weapon pointed at him. "Do you deny it then, Kiryuu-san?" His words were cool but seethed with poison, "You feed from her on a weekly basis, taking what she offers like the common wretch you are." He shifted, his hold on Yuuki tightening perceptibly to Zero's eyes, "You are no better than any other human fallen to madness—saved only by the generosity of one who loves you."

Something rose in the back of Zero's throat that tasted oddly like acidic bile, "She cares for me, but she does not love me." And it was the truth wasn't it, Zero reflected miserably; she _loved_ Kaname with every fiber of her girlish, human heart—it was obvious enough to see it. The thought of it manifested itself as an indistinct pressure in the center of his chest and he fought back to the urge to rub it away.

Kaname's eyes were sharp, "Are you pained by that? That she cares for me, more than you?"

The breeze blowing through the trees seemed to stop, setting a background of dramatic silence for those next words.

"Would you kill me—to take my place in her heart?"

Startled, Zero looked directly into those oddly colored eyes and paused, considering the other man's words—turning them over, really. That tone, the phrasing—too easy, too familiar—spoken readily as if they were on his tongue the whole time. It made one think didn't it—what exactly went on in Kuran Kaname's head.

_Remarkable,_ Zero concluded.

A thought occurred to him—blossomed in the back of his mind and flowed forward like a river of clarity; tilting his head slightly, he stared Kaname down. The word ran off his tongue, a continuation of that thought—a delta spilling out into the open for all to see.

"Jealous?" He whispered it—drawled it, feeling it like silk over his lips. He knew it then, the truth of his own words, despite the strangeness of the observation.

Kuran Kaname—pureblood prince of all the vampires—was _jealous_...

A still moment of silence fell and the two stared at one another, watching. The gas-lamp light on the curb outside the Chairman's home flickered warily, casting shadows down over their heads like veils of secrecy.

The truth of glittered between them like a cursed diamond.

Then Kaname was suddenly in front of him, the ghostly after-image of his movement caught in the corner of Zero's eye; while those strong arms cradled Yuuki close to his own body, he was leaning in, his head dipping low toward Zero's ear.

_I will not flinch from you…_

Determined not to care about the vampire's proximity—after all, what could he do to him _now_—Zero held himself still and calm.

Kaname chuckled softly and the sound of it was low, sensual—the type of sound that drew one in until you drowned in it. Warm breath puffed across his sensitive flesh.

"Ah Zero-kun, you've found me out." Something cool touched his skin and he nearly jumped, surprised—but suddenly Kaname shifted, holding Yuuki with one incredibly strong arm and slinging the other around Zero's shoulders, holding him in place.

"Kuran—"

"Ssh." That cool thing touched his skin again and this time, Zero _did_ jump, arching away from the feeling instinctively. Strong fingers tangled in his hair and pulled, holding his head at that angle; his neck was exposed now and Kaname chuckled again. The cool sensation came and this time, Zero categorized it—tongue; Kaname's tongue, to be exact. It moved, dipping then traveling in a straight line.

_Tracing…_

His seal.

Infuriated for no conceivable reason, Zero tried to pull away—only to have his head jerked back a little harder, the touch a bit crueler than before. "Ah, Zero-kun—let me tell you a secret." The voice was soft, amused—patronizing. "I _am_ jealous of you—every second of every day. You, the stupid, foolish hunter who can't get over his own conversion; _I_ am jealous…of _you_." Those fingers in his hair clenched and Zero winced, but kept his eyes open, observing the absolute stillness of the night and trying to replicate that stillness in himself.

"Would you like to know the why of it, Zero? Why I'm jealous of you?" His voice was still soft but there was a new edge to it—a bitterness and a spiteful hatred, "Wouldn't you love to understand me a little better, Zero-kun? Isn't that what all hunters want? To better understand the prey they hunt with such ruthless efficiency?" That cool tongue darted upward along his neck, tasting under his ear lobe, "Well, let me enlighten you, little hunter."

A sharp pain—sweet-edged and acute—in that place where Kaname's tongue had just dipped and Zero cried out, currents of hot-cold chills running through him—crashing inside him. Stars danced against a blue-black sky behind his eyes and his own breath left his lungs in a great whoosh.

_God, what is this?_

Heat spread through him, rapidly chased by cold—and then all the world narrowed to twin pinpoints as Kaname drew his first mouthful of blood. Sharp, soft; silk, satin; pleasure, pain—sensations over his skin that seemed too acute, too powerful—and he wanted to writhe with it, the waves inside him lifting and pulling in rhythm with each draw Kaname took.

The pleasure was…_excruciating._

_Is this what Yuuki feels?_

Another draw left Zero gasping raggedly, riding the crest of another current.

Then he suddenly fell back into darkness, spiraling downward into an abyss with no bottom where gravity had no effect. His head spun and his eyes flew wide in panic…

…but he found himself staring upward into the plain navy sky, dotted with dim stars and will o'wisp clouds. The moon seemed too bright, hurting his eyes—but he was rational enough to know that he was alive…and standing in the embrace of a predator who was suddenly all the more dangerous to him.

Kaname pressed his nose into the curve beneath Zero's ear, breathing slowly, steadily against his skin, making the younger man shiver. If he didn't know any better, he might have said the vampire was…winded.

Zero's body trembled, weak with blood-loss but already, he could feel the surprisingly exhilarating tingle of healing tissues—evidence of the vampirism he strove so hard to ignore. It raced through his veins, ice enclosed in fire and he gasped aloud, not used to the regenerative thrill.

A movement from Kaname and the pureblood was pulling back, a wry smirk on his lips. Still cradling the unconscious Yuuki with one arm, Kaname wiped along his bottom lip, cleaning away the remaining blood there with his fingers. Then, in a movement so slow that it seemed deliberately provocative, he slipped those same blood-smeared fingers between his lips to lick them with the tip of his tongue.

Zero's heart seemed to race, sputter and then stop completely in his chest.

Kaname made a sound distinctly reminiscent of a cat, purring low in his throat; his gaze, still glowing crimson with bloodlust, was trained to Zero's. "Hmm," he purred again, "I can taste Yuuki's blood there, even under the river of your own."

Silver-violet eyes widened marginally, "My blood?" He heard his own voice from far away, still lost in the haze of the feeding. Was it always like this for the victim? This ripple of ethereal energy? The tidal waves of sensation?

...And the abrupt spiral into the black abyss? Was that what the end was like for a human? Or was it a slow descent, like sinking beneath the surface of a fathomless lake?

Kaname was watching him, an air of knowing superiority draped around him like a cloak, "Wondrous, isn't it Kiryuu-kun? The euphoria of the feeding—from the _other_ perspective." His hand drifted back down, devoid now of any remnant of that stolen sip—Zero watched its progress, his gaze bleary and unfocused.

"Are you feeling a little drained—off kilter? I imagine so." He cocked his head, eyes roving over Zero, "I took only a small amount from you and yet…I can taste Yuuki on my tongue as well." He made that cat-like sound again, his eyes glowing crimson, "And that, exactly, is why I despise you Kiryuu Zero—why I am jealous of you."

_That_ woke him up.

Startled, Zero glared at him, "What?" He struggled to comprehend the thread of this conversation—what had they been talking about…before? Frustratingly, it seemed his mind refused to move beyond that incredible sensation of blood being pulled from his body. A wave of heat ran down his spine—he fought the shiver.

The pureblood watched him, those crimson eyes going hard with an edge previously softened by the blood. "Must I explain it to you then, fledgling?" The condescension clear between his words ruffled Zero's temper but Kaname gave him no chance to interrupt, continuing straight through.

"Stupid, foolish little hunter—you've gained some insight into me, haven't you? You know I care more for Yuuki than myself or those I call friends—she is all that is important to me in this world." Both their gazes flickered down to the girl in question, still held possessively close to the vampire's chest. "She is my everything—and yet, untouchable for that reason alone. I cannot expose her to the danger of my claim—what it would mean if I were to awaken her in my world."

Zero's head went up, the depths of his eyes glinting like cold steel, "Take away her life? Her humanity? You would condemn her to _that_?" He shook his head, furious, "You're a damned creature Kuran Kaname—but I would burn in hell before I let you turn Yuuki into one too."

Kaname watched him, steady, "Really? I wonder then, how you will deal with our future together—but that is a thought for another time." He raised his chin, "You would fight me for Yuuki's human life? Even knowing that you are one of us—long-living and nearly ageless—you would condemn her to death and the dust of the earth? Never offer her the choice to live on, different—yes, of course—but powerful and possibly happier?"

Rage boiled in the silverette—a living, breathing, seething thing. "No—because she wouldn't be like you Kuran—she'd be like _me_! A monster, damned to fall into insanity in the end." He wanted to shake that arrogant asshole, "Class E, Kuran! Do you know what that would mean?"

Kaname's raised eyebrow didn't make him any less angry.

"What that means," Zero ground out, "Is that not even you—with your pureblood aristocracy bullshit—could protect her from the hunters." The very idea made him sick to his stomach and he quaked with the fear of it.

The older vampire cocked his head, "Oh really? Perhaps you underestimate my power in this world, Kiryuu-san." He rolled his shoulders, somehow making the movement appear effortless, even with Yuuki cradled in his arms, "However, we weren't speaking of this originally were we?"

Zero's eyes narrowed, "No, we weren't." His stance shifted and he tucked the Bloody Rose back into his jacket, abruptly making a decision.

_If he was going to attack, wouldn't he have done it already?_

"We _were_ talking about your insufferable jealousy, Kuran Kaname."

Kaname's lips thinned into a line, "Ah yes—where was I?" And then, just that suddenly, the pureblood was very close to Zero once more—that vampiric speed again. But this time, as he leaned it, Kaname's eyes were cold, veiled. Zero watched him out of the corner of his eye, wary.

"I hate you, Kiryuu Zero—because you have the one thing I cannot. And for all that you are a repugnant, foolish little ex-human vampire—normally not even worthy to _look_ at one such as I—I am jealous of you." The chill of his breath on the seal made Zero shiver, "And—if I could—I would kill you for that place."

And then he was gone, striding off up the front porch of the Chairman's house, the air falling gently into place where he'd been before; the wind blew gently through the trees—as if the world had suddenly remembered to turn—and Zero could do naught but stare after him, stunned into silence and stillness.

Just as his hand was falling to the doorknob, Kaname glanced over his shoulder, eyes cold and too dark to be his normal color. Was that sorrow on his face? Or disgust? He raised his hand to his lips again, his tongue slipping from his mouth to lap along his fingers ever so slowly—and Zero was _furious_ to find that heat flushed over his body at the sight of it.

Kaname nibbled the end of his finger and then sighed, dropping his hand away to the doorknob; again, the pureblood fixed on Zero with those chilled eyes. Then, in a lazy perusal, that gaze swept along his body, taking in every detail—or so it felt to Zero. The heat rose in a dizzying rush to his cheeks and pulsed in his ears.

_God…he's so…_

The pureblood's gaze rose back to his own and locked there, darkened redwood to silver-violet; Kaname's lips quirked at the corner, showing a little fang in the moonlight—and his chuckled reverberated through Zero's chest.

"I have to say, Kiryuu-kun, I never thought your taste would be so…_addicting_…" He trailed off then continued, "But, perhaps, its just Yuuki's blood mixing with your own." His face changed—became harder. "I will never understand what she sees in you that is so worth her sacrifice."

And then he was turning on his heel, striding through the suddenly open doorway of the Chairman's house—and right past the Chairman, who stood in the doorway with the most befuddled expression. Kaname simply nodded to him and kept going, heading up the staircase—no doubt toward Yuuki's room. Zero saw his foot hit the runner and geared into movement.

However, when he stepped forward to ascend the external stairs, the Chairman seemed to comprehend what the presence of both Kuran Kaname and Zero himself meant—and his expression changed from confused to closed and concerned. The tall blonde stepped into his path, blocking the doorway.

"Zero-kun, I think you should continue your patrol now—I'm sure you are adequately prepared for the night, yes?" He didn't let Zero answer; even as the boy's mouth opened, he started to turn away, "I thank you for your due diligence, Zero-kun, in making sure Yuuki arrived safely—she needs to rest now. Please, return to your duties and I will see you in the morning for reports." The door was swinging shut, "Goodnight."

The echo of the click as the door shut—and the sound of two deadbolts sliding home—broke Zero's composure and he turned away, furious and confused. He strode off in one direction, uncaring where _exactly_ he was headed—as long as it was away from the Chairman's house.

_Yuuki…I…_

…_I'm sorry._

Many minutes later—but Zero couldn't possibly tell you how many—he was wandering around in the darkened forest pondering dark thoughts of bloodlust and beautiful vampire princes with a holier-than-thou arrogance complex. He stumbled into the grove, then, phantom memories seeming to swirl and rise up around him. He could see himself holding Yuuki close as he fed; him, supporting her as she drooped with exhaustion; Yuuki, putting on the brave front to finish her rounds; Yuuki, asleep a little deeper than usual in class…

…Himself…head thrown back as Kaname ravished his throat for sweet ruby sustenance.

_What the hell…?_

Again, heat rose in his face and he leaned back against a tree—the same tree he'd leaned against the night before—his head falling back against the rough bark. Savagely, he ground his scalp against the texture, hoping the sharp pain would break this sudden fever he seemed to have contracted—but it didn't, not even close. His seal pulsed, that side of his neck feeling overly warm and then chilled at once.

_Yuuki…is this what you feel?_

He sincerely hoped not. His body was doing things against its will—flushing, heating, cooling… and his mind, against all preset regulations, was telling his body that it was _okay_ to react this way to the thought of Kaname.

Certain lower parts of his anatomy seemed to think it was _more than okay_ to react this way.

Frustrated, he growled at himself, hand rising to clamp down on his seal—but the icy-hot pulsing there didn't cease at all, only seeming to strengthen against his objection.

_Damn…damn…damnit…_

He didn't want to consider those types of thoughts—he'd had them for Yuuki and he'd be damned if he was having them for that son of a bitch Kuran. He struggled to remember his anger—the hatred of vampires, the pain of his own existence…

…the sweet pleasure-pain of Kaname biting into him with such aggressive appetite.

_Fuck!_

He couldn't think past it—or at least, it seem that way. That son of a bitch bit him—and now it was like he was stuck there, in his mind.

_Fuck, fuck, fuck._

In the distance, the sun was finally going down—but there were faint sounds he could hear with his hearing—his damned, vampiric hearing—that told him, quite clearly, that a few Day Class students hadn't returned to the Sun dormitory.

The Night Class, with any luck, had done as that asshole requested—gone on to class like good little leeches.

Those distant noises were getting louder as the renegade students made their way across campus—no doubt looking for a back way into the school building. Little fools—didn't they know how dangerous it was for them?

He choked back his own cynical laughter.

Of course they didn't, Zero reflected. The Chairman dropped the wolves among the sheep—and didn't bother to warn the stupid puffballs.

Ah, it was going to be a long night.

He pushed off the bark of the tree and used his new found speed—he loved how useful those loathsome gifts were—to bring himself within easy walking range of the delinquents; he eyed them from a distance with his sharp new sight, keeping hidden behind a convenient tree.

Tonight was a night for revelations—not that _he_ would ever admit to it.

Of two things Zero was now absolutely sure.

One: Anger—and disciplinary action—was a damned good way to alleviate stress and frustration. The wayward school girls whimpered and pouted and cried the way all girls do—and then he marched them straight to the Sun dormitory with promises of suspension if they so much as _thought_ about touring the campus after dark again.

And Two: Kuran Kaname had done something irrevocable to him tonight—and he wasn't sure that he could save himself from the looming current of change he sensed on the horizon.

All of it centered around Yuuki…

…and Kaname.

And then, with the realization that he was suddenly caught up in some strange web of hot, sticky temptations tempered by fantasies hazed in bloodlust, he turned his gaze to the now-risen moon and sighed out one word.

_Fuck._

* * *

**Author's Note: **So there it was, ladies and gents. What did ya think of my precious little pet? Aha. Please, do tell. Hmm. Also, if any one of you people is a brave soul, we (being me) have posted a story on this account entitled "Fairytale Ending", regarding the death of one Misa Amane of Deathnote. Please, if your a fan--or a hater--swing on by. It's very...schizophrenic. Smile.

Also, much love to my Dale, who is ever my semi-obsessed fangirl friend. Love you, Chippymunk.

Review, guys! Make my day and make me smile!


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